


"I Don't Drink Coffee"

by calcalore



Category: Shatter Me Series - Tahereh Mafi
Genre: Coffeeshop AU, Enemies to Lovers, F/M, these 2 dramatic kids
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-02-15
Updated: 2018-02-15
Packaged: 2019-03-18 22:58:25
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,339
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13691607
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/calcalore/pseuds/calcalore
Summary: I made a joke how Warnette is so overdramatic they'd never do anything normal like a coffeeshop date/au bc they'd basically be either making out or arguing but then some friends convinced me to write it so,, here we are





	"I Don't Drink Coffee"

**Author's Note:**

> i wrote this at 3am and there may be typos bc proofreading is for squares

It wasn’t even 9am, and the morning already seemed endless.

Adam and Kenji had both called in sick, claiming they were both too ill to work, even though their Snapchat stories from 6 hours before CLEARLY showed them trying to outdrink each other in a game of beer pong. Of course those two idiots would call out on a Saturday morning, leaving Juliette short-handed on the busiest day of the week. To add to that, today was the day the new regional supervisor was coming in to evaluate their store. And being a newly appointed shift leader, the last thing she wanted to do was seem unprepared, unqualified, or understaffed.

But without 2 people, that left her to take orders _and_ supervise the production line _and_ mix drinks _and_ solve any problems that arose.

There never seemed to be a shortage of the latter.

“I said I wanted this ICED. Why is it hot??”

Juliette tries not to glare at the pudgy man whose eyes were locked on his phone, evidently too busy checking the news to communicate with another human being. “Well sir,” she replies, putting on her sweetest customer service voice, “I believe you told me you wanted your latte extra hot. So. I guess I just assumed you mean you wanted the entire drink hot.”  _At least have the decency look me in the eye while you complain,_ she wanted to say. “

“I wanted the _iced coffee_ heated up, not hot coffee! I don’t have time for this. Just give me my money back.” He holds his hand out for his refund like a belligerent toddler asking for candy. Juliette fought the urge to pour the boiling water she was holding onto his outstretched hand and gave him back the whole $1.85. He was out the door before she could take another breath.

Surprisingly, that man had been more pleasant than her last four customers this morning. Why on Earth was everyone in such a foul mood today? She was going to _kill_ Adam and Kenji.

She turns to the next customer in line.

“Good morning, sir,” she says, flashing her teeth in what was sure to be the most forced smile on record. Only 3 more hours until she could go home. “What will it be?”

The gentlemen doesn’t answer, glancing at her and then at the door where the man just stormed out.

“Is everything alright?” he asks. But it’s not concern in his voice, but amusement at what just unfolded.

“Of course. Never better,” she answers, never loosing that fake grin. 

“Are you sure about that, love?”

Juliette fights the urge to roll her eyes and glances at the long line of impatient people behind him. Whoever this guy was, she was not in the mood to talk about the weather or her feelings with some well-dressed dude when she had work to do.

“Yep. I’m sure. So what can I get for you?”

But he doesn’t look convinced. Mindlessly, Juliette starts tapping her fingers on the counter impatiently. He notices, green eyes darting to her traitorous hands, and raises one eyebrow at her, barely holding back a chuckle.

“I’m sorry— am I.... am I bothering you?” His humor in this humorless situation was REALLY starting to get on her nerves.

“No, I’m just trying to get your drink order so I can help these other people in line,” she replies.

“Ah well, forgive me asking about your well being.”

“I didn’t realize THAT was what you were doing.” _Ugh,_  just the _way_ this guy was talking to her, his smile and his sass and his swagger was maddening. And on today of all days. She daydreamed of reaching over the counter tearing his perfectly buttoned-up shirt apart, running her hands through his perfectly styled hair and wrinkling his perfectly pressed suit. After all, anyone who put that much effort in to their appearance would likely be irked at the slightest disturbance.

So unlike her, with her messy top knot and flushed cheeks, bulky sweater and eyes wild with caffeine and sleep-deprivation. 

When he said nothing, she continued. “You’ll have to forgive me sir, but I have a job to do. Sell coffee. So... if you’re ordering some, tell me what you want. If you’re not, then why. are. you. _here_?”

“Are you _allowed_ to take that tone with a customer? Tsk tsk,” he brushes a speck of dirt off his shoulder, “I wonder what your boss would think.”

Her eyes go wide. “ _Excuse_ you—“

“Now now, you should know before you speak that I-"

"How _dare_ you come in here and think you know anything about me." That's it. This shift had gone on long enough and she was ready to give him a piece of her mind, consequences be damned. "Are you going to order or _not_??"

"Order? No no," he laughs, and Juliette fights the urge to break something. "I don't drink coffee."

That did it. 

“Then wh— why would you— but— if you don’t even—“ she’s too frazzled and too stressed to even finish her sentence, but her gleaming eyes and flushed face and clenched fists seems to convey to him exactly what she’s feeling. He seemed to enjoy pissing her off.

Angry people she could deal with, stupid people she could deal with. But this man, with his well dressed suit and his casual demeanor while she was anything other than casual, with his perfect hair and his easy smile and his intrusive questions, it made no sense to her. It pushed her in all then right places. In all but a 30 second conversation, she felt unhinged just by his mere presence.

“ _Why are you here_?!” she bursts out, drawing glances from every customer in the store. The shop goes quiet.

“Ah... Perhaps I should have mentioned at the beginning, love. My name is Warner. I'm the new overseer of this region.”

_Oh._

He leans in to read her nametag, proudly displaying her new “shift supervisor” status at the top. “Hmm _Juliette_ is it?” he says, drawing out every last syllable of her name. 

She takes one look at his outstretched hand, his enormous grin, the gleam in his eyes that says, _go on, fight me_ , and wants to crawl under the counter and die. The fire inside her cools, replaced with a leaden weight.

Of course he was her boss. _Of course._ Because that went along with the theme of the morning.

Numbly, she brings her hand to meet his, which is strangely soft, but maybe that was her imagination. She was having a hard time forming coherent thoughts.

“I— uh, Mr. Warner, I—“ she trails off, unsure of how to explain herself. He senses her unease and steps in.

“No need to apologize.”

She stills, and then vaguely registers their hands are still interlocked. Immediately she pulls her arm away and tucks it in her apron pocket. His eyes widen in realization.

“OH... you weren’t GOING to apologize. That’s great, that’s... even better somehow.” He’s beaming at her, yet she has no idea what she’s done to be so funny.

What a strange man.

Not any man, boss.

Her boss.

“Can I... can I get you anything?” He barely looked older than her, how could he be supervising this entire region?

Warner ignores her offer and looks at the long line behind him. “Well Juliette, this has been fun. I’ve got some work to do in the back. Come see me when it dies down.” And then of all things, he _winks._

Juliette is still too mortified, or maybe too livid, to move.

As soon as he’s out of sight, she brings her hands to her face and lets out an enormous sigh.

The next customer in line has the nerve to pipe up, “Uhh... can I order?”

She takes one hand away from her face and holds one finger in front of him. “Don’t talk to me. Please. For just a few seconds.”

She swears she hears laughter coming from the back room.


End file.
